Theater-chair.



H. A. BOUK. THEATRE cums.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1912.

i 1 1 fiflfififlm Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

HENRY A. BOUK, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO BOUK PATENTS COMPANY, OE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION OE WASHINGTON.

THEATER-CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '7, 1915.

Application filed July 18, 1912. Serial No. 710,201.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY A. BOUK, citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Theater-Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in chairs such as are constructed with folding seats and are commonly employed in theaters, assembly halls, and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a chair of this character which is strong and durable in its construction which provides for the automatic folding or lifting of the seat when the chair is not occupied, and which is easy and practically noiseless in operation.

The use of springs for raising the seats is noisy and consequently very objectionable in moving picture and continuous vaudeville houses where patrons are continually going and coming, and a further object of the invention has accordingly been to provide a seat which is not dependent upon the use of springs for the lifting or folding of the same.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, A the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the inven tion, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which A Figure 1 is a front elevation of a theater chair constructed in accordance with the invention, the seat being shown in an elevated position and a portion of the bottom thereof being removed. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View through the same, the seat be ing shown by full lines in a raised position and by dotted lines in a lowered position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through one of the bearings by means of which the seat is pivotally connected to the side pieces. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line l4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of -F ig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in allthe views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numerals 1 designate the side frames of the chair, the said side frames being connected by the'back 2, and being provided with the usual legs 1 and arms 1".

Each of the side frames 1 is provided at an intermediate point in the length thereof and in a position spaced from the back 2 with a square or angular opening which is adapted to receive square or angular bushings 3. The inner faces of the bushings 3 are formed with the enlarged circular heads Al. A pivot rod 5 passes through the bushings 3 into the bearings 6 upon the seat frame 7, the ends of the pivot rod being threaded for engagement with suitable nuts 5 lVashers 8 may be interposed between the nuts 5 and be secured in position. The bearings 6 are considerably larger than the pivot rod 5 and receive a series of short cylindrical rollers 13 which surround the pivot rod and are arranged parallel to the aXis thereof. These cylindrical rollers 13 tend to reduce the friction so that the seat swings very freely about its pivot without any creaking or other objectionable noises. A tubular member 14: surrounds the portion of the pivot rod 5 within the seat, washers 15 being interposed between the ends of the tubular member 14: and the bearings 6, as well as between the outer ends of the bearings and the heads 4 of the bushings 3.

It will be observed that the bearings 6 are applied to the seat frame at a point 10% spaced from the rear end thereof, the rear a raised or folded position, as indicated by Fig, 2. Stop arms 17 project laterally from opposite sides of the rear end of the seat and engage the stops or flanged plates 18 to limit the downward movement of the seat and hold the same in operative position when the chair is occupied or pressure is applied to the forward'end of the seat. In a similar manner, the upward swinging movement of the seat may be limited by means of similar flanged plates or stops 19 which are applied to t eside frames 1, and these stops maybe provided with some sound deadening material such as rubber to prevent any creaking or sharp noises 'when the seat swings upwardly into a closed or inoperative position. A hat support 21 is shown as secured to the bottom of the seat, the said hat support comprising a pair of bars which converge rearwardly so as to engage and securely support hats of all rizes.

As will be obvious from the foregoing description, the seat is held normally in a' wardly into a folded position. as soon as the seat is unoccupied or the pressure thereon is released.

1 Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A mounting for chair seats including a pair of bushings formed with angular end portions adapted to be fitted in the side frames of a chair so as to extend through the same, the inner ends of the bushings being formed with enlarged heads, a pivot rod connecting the bushings and extending through the same, a pair of tubular bearings adapted to be applied to opposite sides of the chair seat and to loosely receive the pivot rod, cylindrical rollers arranged within the said bearings and surrounding the pivot rod, washer members applied to the pivot rod and engaging opposite ends of the two sets of cylindrical rollers, a tubular member fitted upon the pivot rod between the bearings so as to engage the inner washer members of each set and hold the same in position, the outer washer members of each set being interposed between the enlarged heads of the bushings and the outer ends of the tubular bearing, and means applied to the extremities of the pivot rod to hold the same against displacement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. BOUK.

Witnesses:

JAS. W. EVANS, MATTIE FOWLER. 

